Fruit bats as natural reservoir of highly pathogenic henipaviruses: balance between antiviral defense and viral tolerance

Authors: Said Mougari, Claudia Gonzalez, Olivier Reynard, Branka Horvat

Year: 2022

Journal: Current Opinion in Virology

DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2022.101228

Summary

This paper reviews the mechanisms that allow fruit bats to control Henipavirus infection while avoiding uncontrollable virus expansion and immunopathology.

Key Findings

• Bats are the natural reservoir host for highly pathogenic Henipaviruses, including Hendra and Nipah viruses.
• Despite being infected, bats present limited signs of disease but can transmit the infection to other hosts, posing a risk for new viral outbreaks.
• Bats have evolved mechanisms permitting efficient control of Henipavirus infection, balancing viral tolerance and antiviral defense.

Methodology

• Study Type: Review

Topics

Epidemiology, Virology

Relevance

This paper provides insights into the mechanism of bat coexistence with highly pathogenic Henipaviruses, which are known to cause serious human diseases.

Source

View the entire paper: File:1-s2.0-S1879625722000372-main.pdf